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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

Originally posted by Peyton: We should have a "Drama Alert Network". When real drama/soap opera stuff starts happening on the forum an alert gets e-mailed out so we can catch it before it's deleted. [/b]

I just love how at one point or another everybody seems to get in a fight with someone. Heck, I'm sure that at one point or another everybody has fought with everyone else; probably about something stupid too!

I've had it out with both John Frank AND Listener as well as constantly make cheap cracks at our lovely Monica!. WHO CARES! It just shows how reasonable people CAN get along even when they don't agree..... eventually!

I think everyone is stupid including myself.

Just think if you get into an argument with me and later your spouse askes why your in such a ****y mood and you have to tell them that you were on some internet forum arguing with a Mr Super-Hunky!

Originally posted by mr_super-hunky: I just love how at one point or another everybody seems to get in a fight with someone. Heck, I'm sure that at one point or another everybody has fought with everyone else; probably about something stupid too![/b]

At the risk of getting into a fight with you the reality is that it's only a few of us that are once in awhile "squabbling" (like a band of real brothers) and it's never over something stupid - quite to the contrary our "gentlemanly disagreements" are always concerning key issues that are vitally important to the ongoing welfare of this Forum community - you, of course, would not "dispute" that, would you?

And I would prefer to believe that we arrive at these points of contention precisely because of our high intelligence which is always aided and abetted by our very sensitive artistic temperament.

Regards, JF

P.S. Just re-read what I wrote above and it sounds so good even I might believe it sooner or later! :p

_________________________
Every difficulty slurred over will be a ghost to disturb your repose later on. Frederic Chopin

Just think if you get into an argument with me and later your spouse askes why your in such a ****y mood and you have to tell them that you were on some internet forum arguing with a Mr Super-Hunky! [/b]

I just finished listening to your Ravel, and then watching the video. I sure as heck couldn't play like that after three years training.

It's too bad the video chops you off at the forearms, but I can understand wanting to preserve anonymity. You appear to have a very relaxed technique, which is such a blessing in a piece like that. Tense wrist and forearm would make that kind of light and rapid movement a torture. [/b]

Thanks for the comments! I can't think of anything critical to say about your performance, which was excellent, so instead I'll comment on the splicing, which was a tad too audible, you could eliminate that by fading between the two halves so that it sounds less abrupt.

I commented in the general thread that your thirds (at least I think they were thirds!) were very evenly played and round toned. They sang.

Two small comments.

I think that even a prelude as stately and song-like as this one could benefit from a touch more articulation in the phrasing. Perhaps because it is so song-like the phrasing assumes even more importance. My second point is related. I don't have the score in front of me, so I don't know what pedal markings Chopin placed in there (or what the editors of your urtext edition did with it), but I wonder what the piece would sound like with a somewhat lighter approach taken to pedaling. That might allow you to go to the expressive high points of each musical idea and essentially take a small breath of separation.

I don't happen to own a copy of the preludes. What a silly lapse on my part! Therefore, take everything that I say with a huge pinch of proverbial salt. Staring at the text makes for better understanding.

My son's teacher is always harping on "go to there." [See above comment to Schubertian!] That's her shorthand for finding the high point in a major musical idea and letting the listener know that you have arrived there.

You might have some fun experimenting with that process. This piece has that wonderful repeated rising theme, Dum da da da da Dee, which might be a good candidate for a small crescendo to the final Dee (the arrival note). Other possibilities also suggest themselves in this very beautiful and lyrical piece.

My son's teacher is always harping on "go to there." [See above comment to Schubertian!] That's her shorthand for finding the high point in a major musical idea and letting the listener know that you have arrived there.

You might have some fun experimenting with that process. This piece has that wonderful repeated rising theme, Dum da da da da Dee, which might be a good candidate for a small crescendo to the final Dee (the arrival note). Other possibilities also suggest themselves in this very beautiful and lyrical piece. [/b]

Piano*Dad, you are absolutely right. I need to decide which Dee is THE Dee, and make that clear! I was pleased to just get the notes (big chords in the LH, not my forte), but having gotten them, there is a lot of room for more expressiveness with both dynamics and rubato here. I will be working on it! Thanks for your comment.